November 16, 2016

on: November 16, 2016

Gospel: Lk 19:11-28
Jesus was now near Jerusalem, and the people with him thought that God’s reign was about to appear. So as they were listening to him, Jesus went on to tell them a parable. He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country in order to be crowned king, after which he planned to return home. Before he left, he summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds of silver. He said, ‘Put this money to work until I get back.’ But his compatriots, who disliked him, sent a delegation after him with this message, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’
He returned, however, appointed as king. At once he sent for the servants, to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made. The first came in, and reported, ‘Sir, your pound of silver has earned ten more pounds of silver.’
The master replied, ‘Well done, my good servant! Since you have proved yourself faithful in a small matter, I can trust you to take charge of ten cities.’ The second reported, ‘Sir, your pound of silver earned five more pounds of silver.’ The master replied, ‘And you, take charge of five cities!’
The third came in, and said, ‘Sir, here is your money, which I hid for safekeeping. I was afraid of you, for you are an exacting person: you take up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow.’
The master replied, ‘You worthless servant, I will judge you by your own words! So you knew I was an exacting person, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow? Why, then, did you not put my money on loan, so that, when I got back, I could have collected it with interest?’
Then the master said to those standing by, ‘Take from him that pound, and give it to the one with ten pounds.’ But they objected, ‘Sir, he already has ten pounds!’
The master replied, ‘I tell you, everyone who has will be given more; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for my enemies who did not want me to be their king, bring them in, and execute them right here in front me!’”
So Jesus spoke, and then passed on ahead of them, on his way to Jerusalem.

REFLECTION:
We are remembering today a most lovely and lovable lady. Not just an ordinary lady, but ­actually a real, flesh-and-blood queen, Margaret­ of Scotland.
Margaret was born around the year 1050, and spent most of her youth at the court of her great-uncle, the English king, Edward the Confessor. Her family had to flee from the attacking King William the Conqueror and was shipwrecked off the coast of Scotland. King Malcolm befriended the family and fell in love with the beautiful, gracious Margaret. They were married in 1070 and had eight children, six boys and two girls.
Malcolm was a good person, but was rough and unpolished. With great patience Margaret managed to refine him and help him become a good king.
As a mother, Margaret personally supervised her eight children’s education, especially their religious formation. But she also worked a lot to correct religious abuses among the clergy, such as simony, usury, etc. And she always served the poor with her own hands. It is recorded that she never sat down to eat without first feeding 9 orphans and 24 adults. After a life of personal austerity and prayer, she died in 1093, four days after her husband.